Low-water alarm.



C. R. FORD.

LOW WATER ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, I915- 1,218,935. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Q q N C. R. FORD.

LOW WATER ALARM.

APPLI CAT|0N FILED AUG-26,1915.

1,218,935. Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

2 $HEETSSHEET 2- IIIIML a Gum/" Y CHARLES R. FORD, OF PADUCAI-I, KENTUCKY.

LOW-WATER ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed August 26, 1915. Serial N 0. 47,511.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-Water Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to low water alarms and is intended more particularly for use upon steamboats and other water navigating vessels, the object of the invention being to provide simple and efiicient means whereby when the water in the boiler reaches a predetermined low level, an alarm will be sounded whereby the engineer and the captain will be notified of the dangerous condition.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel features which. will be particularly pointed out in the claim following the detail description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the circuit closing members;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view, showing a further development of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the rock shaft or fulcrum carrying the movable member of the circuit closer.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates the steam boiler and 2 indicates a water gage erected thereon and which may be of any preferred or well known, type. In the drawings, I have illustrated a form of gage embodying a circular casing having a graduated dial in one end and in which is mounted a rotary shaft carrying an indicator finger 3 playing in front of the dial. The finger 3 is controlled through a float or other means which will vary in position as the level of the water in the boiler changes.

In carrying out my invention, I providea casing 4 at any convenient point in the boiler crum pin 6 to which is rigidly secured a lever or circuit closing member 7 which will, of

course, be constructed of some conductive room and in this casing I secure bean Canite or other material which will prevent the flow of an electric current from the lever to the rod without interfering with the relative movement of the parts. In one side of the housing or casing 4, I provide a window or glazed opening 10 and within the housing, in position to light said window, I provide an electric lamp 11, as shown. To one wall of the housing and in the radial plane of the circuit closing lever 7, I member 12 which is preferably a resilient metallic plate secured atone end firmly to the housing and having connected therewith a conductor 13. The conductor 13 extends to a battery 14 or other source of electrical energy and may extend directly to said battery but will preferably be connected with a bell or other alarm 15 which in turn is connected to" the battery by a conductor 16. From the battery a conductor 17 extends to the lamp 11 and from the lamp the said conductor 17 passes to the fulcrum or rock shaft 6, as shown in Fig. 1. v

It is thought the operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. Under normal conditions, the lever 7 will be out of contact with the member 1-2 and the circuit will, therefore, be broken. As the level of the water in the boiler falls, the needle 3 will be moved toward the danger point on the dial and when it' reaches a predetermined point on the dial, the lever 7 will be rocked, as in dicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as to have its free end carried against the contact -member l2 and thereby close the circuit and it will be readily understood that by adjusting the rod 8, by means of the turn buckle 9, the point at which the circuit will be closed may be regulated. hen the circuit is closed by the engagement of the free end of the lever with the contact plate 12, the current flows from the battery through the lamp secure a contact the finger 21 makes contact with and the lever to the contact plate and thence through the conductor 13 to the bell 15 whence it returns through the conductor 16 to the battery thereby lighting the lamp and sounding the alarm. The alarm will continue to sound and the lamp will continue to glow until the working level of water in the boiler has been restored and it will be readily understood that any number of alarms may be included inthe electrical circuit, it being my intention ordinarily to locate a bell in the boiler room and one in the masters cabin.

Tn Fig. 3 T have shown a further adaptation of the invention, in which an ordinary water gage is indicated at 20 and the indicator finger at 21. A source of electrical energy is indicated at 22 and a conductor 23 leads from the same to the finger 21. From the other side of the battery or dynamo 22 a conductor 24 leads to an alarm 25 which is also connected by a conductor 26 with a contact pin 27 upon the water gage so that when the said pin, the circuit will be closed and the alarm sounded. A second conductor 28 extends from the pin 27 to an 'electro-magnetic switch located at 29 and connected by a conductor 30 with the battery or the conductor 24:. The electro-magnetic switch 29 when it is closed, will operate a controlling device 31 whereby the injector, pump, or other mechanism 32 will be automatically set in operation and water supplied to the boiler, reservoir or tank. As the water level in the boiler rises, the finger 21, of course, will swing upward, thereby breaking the alarm circuit, and will eventually engage a contact pin 33 on the water gage, which pin is connected by a conductor 34 with an electromagnetic switch located at 35 and which, when it is closed, will stop the motor 31, the

said electro-magnetic switch being in turn connected with the-conductor 30 by a branch naiaeea 36, as will therefore,

means whereby an alarm will be sounded.

when the water in the boiler or reservoir reaches a predetermined low level and also have provided means whereby the supply of water will be automatically maintained. It will also be understood that an alarm may be connected with the contact 33 so as to sound upon a predetermined high level of water being reached. The contact points on the gage will so that a positive contact will be made although the indicator needle may work freely. My apparatus is obviously simple in the construction and arrangement of its parts and may be readily applied to any existing stationary or marine boiler, reservoir or tank at a very low cost. The circuit closing members are all housed within the casing t, in the preferred form of the invention, so that they are not apt to be disarranged and put out of order by accidental blows and the circuit closing member 12 may be of considerable width so that it will remain in position to be engaged by the lever 7 notwithstanding rolling or pitching of the vessel.

preferably be spring-mounted Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a resilient contact plate fixed at one end and having its other end free, a rock shaft mounted adjacent said contact plate, a lever secured intermediate its ends to said rock shaft, and means for connecting one end of said lever with a movable indicator member, the other end of the lever being disposed to effect wiping engagement with the intermediate portion of the side face of said resilient contact plate whereby to close a circuit through the indicator.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES R. FORD. [n s.] 

